Five or more flights, all year in California and southern Florida; several flights, March to November in New Mexico and southern Nevada; one or two flights, May to October (Scott 1986). Mainly March/April to October/November (Glassberg 2001); early June to early October in Oregon and Washongton (Pyle 2002).

Diagnostic Characteristics

Distinctive; best told by color and large size, black border with two rows of tiny white spots, hindwing lacking black postmedian line.

Species Range

Montana Range

Year-round

Range Comments

In the New World, southern Canada and entire continental US south to South America, also many oceanic islands, overwintering in coastal California and Transvolcanic Belt of Mexico; naturalized in many other regions around the globe (Opler and Wright 1999; Glassberg 2001; Pyle 2002); to at least 3505 m elevation in Colorado, but usually below 2745 m (Scott and Scott 1978). In Montana, reported statewide (Kohler 1980; Stanford and Opler 1993). Common throughout the western range, except rare to uncommon in the Pacific Northwest (Glassberg 2001).

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)

Migration

Migratory. Move northward over several flights, then final flight moves south to overwintering sites primarily in coastal California and central Mexico (Scott 1986; Glassberg 2001; Pyle 2002). Majority of southward-moving individuals west of the continental divide probably overwinter in coastal California, southward-moving individuals east of the divide probably overwinter in central Mexico, but still little data to support this.

Pyle, R.M. 2002. The butterflies of Cascadia: a field guide to all the species of Washington, Oregon, and surrounding territories. Seattle Audubon Society, Seattle, Washington. 420 pp.

Scott, J.A. 1975b. Mate-locating behavior of western North American butterflies. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 14:1-40.

Scott, J.A. 1986. The butterflies of North America: a natural history and field guide. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.

Scott, J.A. 1992. Hostplant records for butterflies and skippers (mostly from Colorado) 1959-1992, with new life histories and notes on oviposition, immatures, and ecology. Papilio new series #6. 185 p.

Scott, J.A. 2006. Butterfly hostplant records, 1992-2005, with a treatise on the evolution of Erynnis, and a note on new terminology for mate-locating behavior. Papilio new series #14. 74 p.

Scott, J.A. 2014. Lepidoptera of North America 13. Flower visitation by Colorado butterflies (40,615 records) with a review of the literature on pollination of Colorado plants and butterfly attraction (Lepidoptera: Hersperioidea and Papilionoidea). Contributions of the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthopod Diversity. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University. 190 p.

Scott, J.A. and G.R. Scott. 1978. Ecology and distribution of the butterflies of southern central Colorado. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 17(2): 73-128.